Paul Krugman: It Takes a Party

In the upcoming presidential elections, political parties matter more than the particular candidates:

It Takes a Party, by Paul Krugman, Commentary, NY Times: So Hillary Clinton is officially running, to nobody’s surprise. And you know what’s coming: endless attempts to psychoanalyze the candidate,... endless thumb-sucking about her “positioning” on this or that issue.

Please pay no attention..., there has never been a time ... when the alleged personal traits of candidates mattered less. As we head into 2016, each party is quite unified on major policy issues — and these unified positions are very far from each other. ...

For example, any Democrat would, if elected, seek to maintain the basic U.S. social insurance programs — Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid..., while also preserving and extending the Affordable Care Act. Any Republican would seek to destroy Obamacare, make deep cuts in Medicaid, and probably try to convert Medicare into a voucher system.

Any Democrat would retain the tax hikes on high-income Americans..., and possibly seek more. Any Republican would try to cut taxes on the wealthy ... while slashing programs that aid low-income families.

Any Democrat would try to preserve the 2010 financial reform... Any Republican would seek to roll it back...

And any Democrat would try to move forward on climate policy, through executive action if necessary, while any Republican ... would block efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

How did the parties get this far apart? Political scientists suggest that it has a lot to do with income inequality. As the wealthy grow richer..., their policy preferences have moved to the right — and they have pulled the Republican Party ever further in their direction. Meanwhile, the influence of big money on Democrats has at least eroded a bit, now that Wall Street, furious over regulations and modest tax hikes, has deserted the party en masse. The result is a level of political polarization not seen since the Civil War. ...

As you can probably tell, I’m dreading the next 18 months, which will be full of sound bites and fury, signifying nothing. O.K., I guess we might learn a few things — Where will Ms. Clinton come out on ... the Trans-Pacific Partnership? ... — but the differences between the parties are so clear and dramatic that it’s hard to see how anyone who has been paying attention could be undecided even now, or be induced to change his or her mind between now and the election.

One thing is for sure: American voters will be getting a real choice. May the best party win.